Monday, May 14, 2012

Blissful

View from the Villa

My
daughter once described the area along the Mediterranean as blissful, and I
found myself wondering what it would be like to be there. What would blissful
entail; how would it be defined for me? So I began by looking up the word
blissful in the English dictionary and found several descriptors, some of which
just simply didn’t apply. The one that seemed to fit the bill for me was the
one every soul would long for - extreme happiness; ecstasy. Could being on the
Mediterranean offer this type of experience? It remained to be seen.

As with most
decisions in my life, they come quickly and I rarely veer from the path once
defined. Selecting Estepona, Spain as my Mediterranean destination, I prepared
myself to be “bliss-tified” and didn’t look back.

The villa I
rented rests thirty meters from the beach that stretches for miles in either
direction. A view of the town of Estepona beckons in the distance both day and
night, and Gibraltar and Africa grace the horizon. The glassed-in veranda
overlooking the beach opens to the invitation of gentle breezes and the songs
of birds. Flowers abound, and the scent of orange blossoms and jasmine fill the
air. Spanish music drifts through the window, and the sound of voices mingle
with the sound of the waves. All is well in my world, wrapped within the walls
of this wonderful getaway.

So let me
define “my blissful” from a Spanish perspective. It is a meteor flashing across
the night sky and the moonlight reflected on the water. It is the warmth of the
sun that greets me every morning just like a cup of coffee, and the wind that
cools my face when the sun gets hot. It is tapas shared at my favorite cafe
with a vino rosada or pitcher of sangria, as the birds perch on the chairs and
boats drift quietly into the marina. A cafe con leche and a friendly hola from
a passerby warm my soul in the cool of the evening. As I struggle with my
limited Spanish, the locals smile and show infinite patience. A siesta in the
afternoon draws everything into a quite peace, and I long to embrace the
culture here. Can heaven be so blissful? Job said “these are just the edges of
his ways”, and I say hallelujah!

As I ponder “blissful”
here on the shores of the Mediterranean, I must ultimately recognize that it is
a state of mind, and therefore is not anchored by ones surroundings as much as
by ones outlook on life. For me it is
leaving the baggage behind and embracing new experiences; allowing new occurrences
to outshine the old, if only for a season.

As I work on
my assignment for writer’s group here on the southern coast of Spain, my
husband wanders around the villa, a little restless as he waits to make our way
downtown for a warm hello and a cold drink. I tell him I brought him along
simply to drive the standard - smile. But truth be known, it wouldn’t be a
blissful paradise without him.

I think I
have successfully embraced blissful: I have found my nirvana. So what’s next?
Simply book this wonderful haven for even longer next year. Done!

I would like
to be able to say that I miss my life in Nova Scotia, but in all honesty I
could simple leave it behind and begin again, as I have done for most of my
life. I love new beginnings; new experiences. I believe they are the essence of
youthfulness, and I hope to embrace them for many years to come. Here’s to
following your dreams and finding your blissful. May you carry it with you wherever you go.

I am pleased to announce ....

... that in May of this year I won the Canadian 2010 Word Guild award for writing excellence by never-before-published authors in its “God Uses Ink” contest. My short story entitled “On My Mother’s Side” won top honors in the fiction category.

Me

Maureen Newman

One of my paintings ....

Access my website at www.mnewmanfolkart.com or by double clicking on this painting